An electric heating pad is often used for joint and muscle pain. An electric pad has a series of electrical wires that are contained by a flame retardant plastic pouch. The wires are connected to a small box on the outside that serves as a...
A herniated disc can occur at any spinal region when one of the intervertebral discs cracks or otherwise tears, leaking gelatinous fluid into the spinal column. A herniated disc may impinge a nerve, causing weakness, pain and even loss of function...
Hand pain may be caused by a chronic condition, such as arthritis. It may also result from an injury, fracture or sprain. You can ease hand pain by applying heat and ice, using medications or compression bandages and resting your hand.
Everyone pulls a muscle once in a while, sleeps in the wrong position, has a stomach ache or just plain needs a back rub to relieve tightness from leaning over a computer or holding a jackhammer all day long. When you don't have your favorite...
The aches and pains of pregnancy, especially during your last trimester, can seriously affect your quality of life. The shift in balance that your growing belly causes often results in lower back pain, leg and hip pain and other issues. Heat helps...
Heat packs are a great way to relieve the pain of pulled muscles, backaches and menstrual cramps. If you do not have an electric heating pad available or do not want to spend the money on a commercial heat pack, you can make your own using...
Abdominal pain is common and, for the most part, benign. Many of us experience mild pain or a stomachache after eating too much at one sitting or enjoying too many fried, fatty or acidic foods. Treating this type of stomachache can be as easy as...
A urinary tract infection can occur in the bladder, kidneys, urethra or ureters and is characterized by symptoms including pain when urinating, low fever, urge to urinate, lower back pain, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. One of the most common...
Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic and debilitating disease, primarily affects the lining of the joints, causing erosions of the cartilage and bone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While no cures for the condition exist,...
Stomach aches happen to just about everyone. They could be the result of eating too fast or eating a trigger food that is too spicy or high in lactic acid, or they could be the precursor to a stomach flu. A persistent stomach ache should be cause...
The spinal column is divided into five sections -- the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, the lumbar spine, the sacral area and the coccygeal area, or tailbone. The lumbar spine is made up of five vertebrae. This area supports more weight than...
Most women have experienced painful cramps at some point. A monthly period often brings with it bloating and sharp pains across the belly and back. Since the average period lasts from five to seven days, the cramps can be debilitating when they...
Castor oil is taken from the bean of the plant Ricinus communis, which is native to Africa and India. Best known for its laxative effects and its ability to stimulate labor when taken internally, castor oil has also been used topically throughout...
Many people who stretch regularly may experience various degrees of a pins and needles feeling in the muscle or joint that they are stretching. This causes numbness and even pain, which is an indication of muscle stiffness, nerve compression and...
Some treatments are so common and taken for granted that we use them without giving a second thought to them. Heat therapy is commonly used for pain relief, to relax tight muscles and help heal minor injuries. One of the jobs of scientists is...
Castor oil has traditionally been used as a laxative when taken internally. Its use dates back to ancient Egypt. The vegetable oil is a derivative of the castor seed and its active ingredient is ricinolenic acid. Differing opinions exist on the...
Heating pads serve as a safe and affordable means of staying warm during the cold months. Since their invention, heating pads have been manufactured to meet the needs of different situations. Each of these types of heating pads works in different...
It may feel good to take a long run, but muscle cramps in your feet can ruin the rest of your day. Muscle cramps may occur due to dehydration and strenuous muscle exertion. After working your muscles for a long period of time, the muscles in your...
Well-intentioned medical advice is about as common as having a belly-button -- especially when it comes to the use of heat vs. ice for sore muscles. Learning how to alternate ice and heat to relieve your sore muscles may take experimentation, as...
Traditional Swedish massage is performed with the hands, but a series of tools have been developed to supplement hand work. The tools help the massage therapist access deeper layers of muscle tissue, so that they can treat painful or spasming...
Organic heat pads are among the most inexpensive and effective ways to experience the benefits of heat therapy. They work similarly to electric heating pads or hot water bottles and can be used on different parts of the body to relax tense...
Whether you have a debilitating condition such as fibromyalgia or recently sustained a muscle injury, you may want to investigate a few superficial heat therapy treatments to help you manage pain and inflammation. Although superficial heat therapy...
Both wet and dry heat can relieve sore muscles, but some people prefer one method over the other. Many experience a greater level of immediate relief from wet heat, but dry heat generally lasts longer and offers more convenience. Oftentimes,...
The nature of the connective tissue disorder, scleroderma, can vary widely in those with the condition. In some, it only affects the skin while in others, it affects internal areas such as the organs and digestive tract. Exercise can help with...
While leg pains may have causes that range from Achilles tendonitis to varicose veins, home remedies can ease the symptoms of many of them. In fact, patients can replicate some of the techniques prescribed by sports medicine professionals for pain...
Low back pain is a common condition and about 80 percent of people will experience low back pain at least once in their lives, according to the North American Spine Society. Heat is frequently recommended by doctors as a part of the initial...
Warmth and heat have long been associated with comfort and relaxation. But heat therapy in the form of a heating pad goes a step further, easing many types of pain. Heat increases blood flow and speeds up your metabolic rate to assist healing. ...
Frostbite occurs when skin and tissue freezes due to exposure to cold temperature. Symptoms include numbness, dull pain, skin discoloration and a "pins and needles" sensation. There are three stages of frostbite---frostnip, superficial frostbite...
Menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, are dull, throbbing pains that occur right before or during a woman's menstrual cycle. The Mayo Clinic reports that some women experience cramps so severe that everyday activities may be interrupted when cramps...
